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Harper government pledges new railway safety measures in throne speech

Wrecked oil tankers and debris from the runaway train that derailed and exploded in Lac-Megantic, Que., on July 6. Transport Canada staff are assembling evidence of whether the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway complied with regulations before the disaster.Photo: Surete du Quebec/AFP

OTTAWA — The mayor of Lac-Megantic, Que. was a special guest of the Harper government Wednesday as it pledged to introduce new federal rail safety measures — in response to the summer runaway train disaster in the Quebec town — that would include more stringent insurance requirements for railways.

In its latest throne speech, the government also pledged to introduce a new plan to help cities upgrade their infrastructure to cope with climate-related disasters such as the heavy rain and flooding that struck southern Alberta.

“As efforts to clean up and rebuild Lac-Megantic demonstrate, railway companies must be able to bear the cost of their actions,” said Gov. Gen. David Johnston in the speech. “Our government will require shippers and railways to carry additional insurance so they are held accountable.”

Lac-Megantic, Que. Mayor Colette Roy-Laroche.

The speech also pledged “targeted action” to increase safety of the transportation of dangerous goods. Safety risks have long been flagged in internal government reports and audits in recent years. But Transport Canada missed its own key deadlines to improve its oversight in the years that led up to the disaster that killed dozens of people and destroyed buildings in the town of Mayor Colette Roy-Laroche.

Canada’s cities have also called on the government to help them upgrade infrastructure to cope with natural disasters that affected cities such as Calgary over the summer.

Johnston praised first responders and others who came together to confront the two events in Alberta and Quebec, adding that the government would continue to support their recovery, while taking steps to prevent future disasters with a new national disaster mitigation program.

The government also said in the speech that it would address one of the factors that can contribute to natural disasters and climate change by working with the provinces to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas companies, while ensuring that they can “remain competitive.” The latest promise renews a pledge that the Harper government has made several times since 2006 followed by delays and missed deadlines.